Almost did it today… just about left my camera at home. It was so gloomy looking this morning that I looked out and almost decided to leave it at home. But, that nagging feeling to bring it along on my training hike today would not let me go so I threw it in the old Dodge just in case. As I was driving towards the trail head I was glad I did because the fog and new snow were making for an interesting looking day.
I’ve hiked up that mountain dozens of times without ever seeing wildlife so that was one more reason to leave the camera behind, but today as I crested the summit I thought I spotted the telltale ears hidden in the woods off to the south. So I stopped and got out the Canon 70–200 to see if I was things or if there really was an elk in the clearing. Indeed there was, in fact there was an entire herd of them hiding in the shadows of the fog and dark pines of the Pike National Forest. They were a good bit away though which makes a sharp capture a challenge so I knelt down and steadied my camera with my elbow and knee and snapped a couple just to make sure I got something out of the sighting! Then I quietly moved to a better vantage point without the trees obscuring the white elk and acquired a couple more before the beasts noticed me and retreated out of view further into the dense forest.
Big Dog and I got in a good training hike and headed around Victor to see what I might see on the other side. Pikes Peak is always putting on a good show from there and today didn’t disappoint. There were some low hanging clouds and fog enveloping the magnificent peak so I stopped to get a few angles on that scene. The fog makes a sharp capture a bit of a challenge, but I hope people will understand when they view the images that I have made for sale on my website, including the two that I have included in this article.
Well, the moral of the story today is a note to myself, never ever leave the camera at home when I am going for a hike. The mountains are always amazing, even on a dreary cloudy Colorado winter morning 🙂
